Messeh Leone Loses in Court for Defaming Comium, Monty Mobile and Mountasser Hachem
A notorious cybergang has been relentlessly targeting Mountasser Hachem, the Founder and Chairman of Monty Holding/Monty Mobile. The conspiracy came to light in France, where a breakthrough in the investigation revealed the mysterious plotting behind a smear campaign against Hachem as online entity named “wearegambians,” published several defamatory articles against Mountasser Hachem and Monty Mobile. A court ruling successfully unmasked the “wearegambians” domain, tracing its purchase to a credit card issued by Lloyds Bank. Astonishingly, after unmasking the credit card, turns out the cardholder was identified as Messeh Leone, a Sierra Leonean, who had been hired to disseminate the defamatory content. Despite being a citizen of Sierra Leone with no apparent ties to The Gambia or Mr. Hachem, Leone has actively participated in the defamation campaign.
And thus, the first cheivement was in a landmark ruling, the High Court of Justice in London responded to the joint claim brought by Mr. Mountasser Muad Hachem and Monty Mobile Ltd. against Mr. Messeh Leone and Messeh Leone Ltd. for the defamatory articles and false statements published on “wearegambians.com”. The court issued an order on July 9, 2024, mandating the defendants to pay a total of £70,000 in damages and an additional £30,000 to cover legal costs – attached herein. Moreover, the court imposed an injunction to prevent the defendants from publishing any further defamatory content about the claimants.
Messeh Leone’s reputation is damaged beyond repair. He will never be a trusted journalist again, and this wrongdoing will haunt him for the rest of his career. The court’s ruling has exposed his involvement in spreading false and defamatory content, tarnishing his credibility and integrity. No reputable organization will want to associate with someone who has been found guilty of such unethical behavior. This incident will follow him wherever he goes, making it difficult for him to rebuild his career or regain the trust of the public and his peers.
This case underscores the challenges faced by those who dare to disrupt monopolistic practices, while highlighting the resilience and fortitude required to combat cyber defamation in the digital age.